


Common Misconceptions

by JadeJem



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Love, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, SO MUCH FLUFF, Special, Valentine's Day, adrienette - Freeform, miraculous - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-22 07:49:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13759560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: In which Marinette Dupain-Cheng is hopelessly in love with Adrien Agreste.





	Common Misconceptions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, loves. Forgot to post this here, but have some fluff.
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

Valentine's Day. Oh, how Marinette hates Valentine's Day.

Sure, it's fun to get unsigned cards from classmates and strangers and maybe find a rose or two in your locker, but it's also a huge letdown. Marinette has spent the past two years alone on Valentine's Day, desiring one boy in particular that she just can't seem to have. 

To say it in simple words: she's completely and utterly effed.  

Her stammering has gotten better (with the help of Alya, of course), but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Ever since becoming best friends with Adrien Agreste, Marinette's learned three things. 

**#1: Adrien is a huge dork.**

That's right. He is! He gets excited over small things like video games (which he can never manage to beat Marinette at) or rides at the holiday carnivals. Marinette can distinctly remember winning him a stuffed cat at an autumn carnival and watching Adrien freak out because of how fluffy it was.

**#2: Adrien is very good at hiding things.**

With all his years of modelling experience, the boy can put on a facade like you would not believe! He's so good at masking things when he's upset. Of course, Marinette can tell... but that's only because of her crush on him (which has become less painfully obvious over time). His eyes sparkle a certain way when he's in a good mood, and when that glimmer is missing, Marinette does everything in her power to bring it back.

Sometimes that's grabbing Adrien during lunch before he's driven away and telling him to come eat with her at home. Sometimes it's Marinette doodling a bunch of goofy cats (he really likes cats) on a piece of paper and handing it to him in the middle of class. 

Sometimes, it's sneaking up behind him and wrapping him in the biggest hug she can muster. She'll press the side of her face into his lean back and pour every bit of affection she can conjure up into the hug. It always takes a moment for Adrien to react, but when he does, he'll always turn around to face her and bury his head in her hair, holding her like she's the only thing keeping him afloat.

And sometimes, it gets to be too much for Marinette's poor heart.

Anything for Adrien, though, right?

**#3: Adrien Agreste is in love with someone.**

The signs are all there; the hearts scribbled across his notebook pages, the face he makes when his mind wanders away from the conversation between the group of four, the way he sighs and looks off into absolutely nothing... 

Marinette's never directly asked him about it, but she knows that it's there. That burning affection hiding just behind his irises of green. He practically wears the love on his sleeve; the one emotion he just can't seem to hide.

And it really, really hurts.

The aching of her heart is enough to get Marinette to push past such thoughts and focus back in on the discussion happening around her. 

Dazzling green eyes blink at her, a question whirling in their depths. Marinette startles when she notices the whole group looking at her.

"Sorry—what'd you say?" she asks, pinking in slight embarrassment and scratching the back of her neck.

Alya lets out a groan, and Nino bangs his head on the table. Marinette looks at Adrien, expecting an explanation of some sort, only to find him not looking at her. His face is now downcast, and he looks... sad? Disappointed? Embarrassed?

Oh my god. Is he embarrassed FOR her?!

"What?" she queries impatiently, looking between everyone. "What is it?"

Alya suddenly gets up and shakes her head, shoving her books into her bag and pulling it onto her shoulder. "Nope. Not today. I—not today." And with that, she's grabbing Nino's sleeve and dragging him away, leaving Marinette staring at the spot across from her; where Alya had been.

She whirls on the boy next to her, brows furrowing. "Adrien?"

He jumps at being directly addressed and scratches the back of his neck, cheeks staining a gentle pink. "It's nothing, Mari. Alya just...," he trails off, leaving the thought unfinished.

Feeling confused and slightly betrayed at the lack of reasoning behind everyone's odd behavior, Marinette throws her leg over the bench, straddling it and looking straight at Adrien. 

"Adrien," she whines softly, leaning on her hands and bringing out her 'puppy eyes', "what is it?"

Adrien tilts his head in her direction, the locks of hair hovering just over his forehead bouncing and flashing a breathtaking gold. "Not the puppy eyes, Mari. You know I can't say no to those."

Marinette pops her lower lip out a little bit and blinks up at him. "Adrien?"

Said boy groans and looks away, covering his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Stoooooop."

Marinette giggles lightly and scoots forward so she can rest her chin on his shoulder. "Please?"

Adrien peeks down at her and cracks a smile. "No."

Marinette makes a sound somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, reluctantly moving herself away from him and slapping his arm. "Why not?"

He hums, clearly amused if his smile has anything to say about it. "Because."

"That's definitely not a legitimate reason," Marinette states, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. 

When he doesn't say anything, Marinette sighs and throws her other leg over the bench and leans back against the table. She side-eyes him before shuffling closer and resting her cheek on his shoulder.

She can't see him, but she can feel him relax before his head comes down on top of hers. 

They sit in silence for a few moments. Marinette occupies her time by watching the sun get chased away through the large skylight overhead. The tables around them are abandoned; most everyone had gone home right after school. The group of four had decided that it would be a good idea to study for upcoming exams in the indoor courtyard.

"It really wasn't important, Mari. Alya just said something, and we all looked at you to see your reaction."

Marinette feels a strange pang in her gut.

"Nothing else happened?" she asks, her stomach twisting itself into knots.

_He's lying._

"Nothing else happened."

***   *   ***

Marinette taps her pencil on the desk impatiently, her lower lip caught between her teeth. 

"Marinette, stop that," Tikki chides, sighing and floating to a stop in front Marinette. "Adrien wouldn't lie to you without a good reason."

"That doesn't make me want to know any less!" Marinette exclaims, dropping her pencil and throwing her hands up in the air. 

She spins around in her chair so that she's now straddling the back of it. With a heavy sigh, she slowly wheels herself across the room to her wall of photos.

No, not her Adrien photos. When she'd started becoming better friends with Adrien, she'd taken all of the photos down because he had started coming over much more frequently. 

And, quite frankly, having his face plastered all over her room was a lot creepier than she had cared to admit when she was 14. 

Marinette stares at the collage of faces; Alya, Nino, Adrien, and herself for the most part. There are so many. So many smiles, goofy faces, mischievous grins, exchanged glances.

A silly smile stretches Marinette's lips, and she reaches forward to touch a photo of Adrien trying to piggyback ride her. Her face is frozen in an exuberant expression of laughter, and Adrien has his arms wrapped around her, grinning like an idiot and staring at her. 

Her thumb brushes over his face, and her grin turns into a soft smile.

_'No,'_ she tells herself,  _'I won't be unhappy because he doesn't feel the same. I want to love him selflessly.'_

She flinches slightly at the word 'love.' When she had first discovered that her feelings were deeper than a simple crush could cover, she'd  _freaked out_. I mean, how often does a girl fall so far in love it hurts before she even turns 18?!

_Tap, tap, tap._

Marinette positively leaps away from the photo wall, nearly falling out of her desk chair. She spins to face the window, where she knows Chat Noir will be waiting for her.

Low and behold, he's there, grinning and pointing up.

Marinette cracks a smile and stands from her chair to make her way up the stairs to her bed. She pushes open the trapdoor the reveal Chat gazing down at her.

"Hey, Princess," he greets, giving her a two-fingered salute partnered with a wink.

Marinette stands to her full height, now halfway out of the trapdoor. She leans against it, allowing an amused smile to grace her lips. "And why should I let a stray like you in?"

Chat crosses his arms, leaning forward in his squat and smirking. "Because you have been every night for the past year."

The bluenette pulls a face and pushes Chat away by the nose before ducking back down into her room. He follows her in, taking refuge on her pink chaise and stretching languidly. 

Marinette plops down on her desk chair backwards again, resting her chin on her arms. 

Chat hadn't been lying. For the past year or so, he's been making daily (nightly) visits. At first, Marinette frowned upon it, even going as far as throwing Ladybug in his face. All he'd done was shrug and claim that he simply enjoyed her company when on solo patrols.

He's come to visit her right after akuma attacks as well. Which has been a pain in the  _ass_ because that means she can't stay and make sure the akuma victim is okay before she has to take off and race Chat to her own home.

Marinette jumps when Chat squats next to her, staring at her wall of photos. He says nothing for a while, simply staring. He's been doing this ever since Marinette had put the pictures up a month ago.

"Who's he?" he queries, jabbing a pointed finger at a photo of Adrien and Marinette making fish faces at the camera. 

Marinette giggles lightly at the memory taped to the wall. "That's one of my best friends. His name is Adrien."

Chat's nose wrinkles slightly, but a hint of a smile touches his lips. "He looks like a dork."

"He definitely is," Marinette laughs, eyes running down the different photos she'd taken with Adrien, "but you're no better." She looks at him pointedly, and Chat's smile grows wider. 

"Got me there, Princess." He tosses a casual arm around her shoulder and leans in towards her face. "But I'm one of your best friends, too, right?"

Marinette throws him a flat (albeit, semi-amused) look and flicks his bell. "Of course." 

Chat beams. "Then we have to take photos, too."

"What?" Marinette queries, pulling away from him with a skeptical look. "Chat, you're a superhero. I can't have pictures of you and me plastered across my wall!"

"Sure you can!" Chat exclaims, waving her off and pushing a button on his baton. "Everyone knows you're my favorite, anyway."

At this, Marinette snorts. "Don't you pick on other 'beautiful damsels in distress?'"

Chat smirks his infamous smirk, eyes glittering knowingly. "No one compares to the princess. There's not even a  _little_  competition." 

Marinette says nothing to his heavy compliment, choosing instead to roll her eyes and shove the blush wanting to rise back down into her subconscious. 

Chat beams cheekily and clicks something on his baton. A camera pops up, and Marinette raises an eyebrow at Chat through the camera lens.

He huffs and looks at her. "Fine. I'll only keep the pictures on here. I just want  _something_  of you and me."

Marinette pokes her tongue out at Chat and lets him click away. To get a real smile out of her, he ends up tickling, which results in some very cringey faces of blurry laughter on Marinette's part.

When the 'photo shoot' is finally over, Marinette kicks Chat out, insisting that they both need rest. Chat insists that it's Friday, but Marinette hears none of it.

"I have a study group all day tomorrow!" she states, laughing as Chat tries to find ways around her to climb back into the warmth her room offers.   

"Me too!" Chat exclaims, huffing and looking at the city behind him. "I just..."

Marinette frowns, worry gripping her. "What's wrong? Is it your father?"

Oh, Chat's father. Marinette has never met the man (nor does she want to), but oh my god does she  _hate_  him. He's terrible! He treats Chat like a business, doesn't care about his feelings or needs, locks him up in his room, and gets mad at Chat for having a social life at public school! Like, what the heck kind of father does that?

Chat visibly swallows and steals a glance at Marinette. His eyes glisten in the soft light of her room, and Marinette's strong argument of needing sleep crumbles around her.

"Come down here. You can stay as long as you're gone before I wake up," she sighs, taking his gloved hand and pulling him down into her room. "We don't have to talk if you don't want to. Just know I'm here for you as both a physical and mental reassurance."

He shuts the trapdoor above them and envelops her in a tight hug. "Thank you, Mari."

An odd feeling strikes her, and Marinette forces herself to shove it away. No, she hasn't heard that voice say those words before. She's been telling herself this for months now.

Marinette pads down the stairs and flips the light switch. Darkness swallows the room in shadows, leaving only a few small spaces for moonlight to filter through the windows. 

The bluenette climbs back up the ladder and tucks herself under the covers. She turns her back on Chat when a bright green light fills the space surrounding them.

Warms hands hesitantly wrap around her torso, and Marinette bites back a shiver. His chin comes to rest just above her head, and his legs tangle with hers. 

The position feels weird. Almost... intimate. 

"Is this okay?" Chat (well, not-Chat) asks hesitantly, his thumb gently brushing the skin just above her navel.

Marinette chews on the inside of her cheek and nods, not trusting herself to verbally respond. 

It doesn't take long for Chat's soft, content snores to taint the too-quiet air, and Marinette relaxes. Her mind wanders for a bit before she finally finds herself edging towards a heavy slumber.

***   *   ***

She wakes to Tikki's gentle cheek pecks and the clouded sunlight streaming through her window. Marinette sits up slowly and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

Still not quite awake, she makes her way down the stairs leading up to her bed and stretches before walking up to her dresser and grabbing her brush. She drags said brush through her slightly knotted hair a couple of times before pulling them into two loose buns. 

"What time is it?" she asks Tikki, yawning mid-sentence. 

"It's nine fifteen. You said you'd meet Nino, Alya, and Adrien at the cafe around the corner at nine thirty," she answers, picking up Marinette's shawl and struggling to fly it over to her. "I woke you up so you'd have just enough to time brush your hair and teeth."

Marinette smiles sleepily. "Thanks, Tikki."

The bluenette brushes her teeth and slides on a pair of flats, still clad in pajamas. She figures that the cafe is going to be full of other high school students studying for finals, and they'll all be wearing pajamas or comfy clothes as well.

She grabs her backpack and mini purse, making sure Tikki is in there with a couple of cookies, before lazily making her way down the stairs into the bakery. 

"Marinette," Tom greets her merrily, enveloping his sleep-muddled daughter in a hug. "Ready to study?"

"Yay," Marinette responds, her enthusiasm sounding about as real as her chances of waking up any time soon. 

Sabine walks out of the kitchen holding a small bag full of what Marinette assumes to be pastries. The bluenette takes the bag and kisses her mother on the forehead. "Thanks, Maman."

Marinette balances on her tiptoes and plants a kiss on Tom's cheek before waving and making her leave.

The air outside is surprisingly warm for a February morning, and Marinette finds herself stopping and breathing in the crisp smell of the serene atmosphere. 

The walk is a short one, and Marinette is pushing the door to the small cafe open at exactly  **9:23 AM.**

She shoves her phone back into her school bag and holds the door open for a familiar face from around campus. 

Well, she'd been right about the whole 'pajama' thing.

Every customer in the place is a high school student wearing baggy pants and over-sized shirts. Marinette spots the back of Alya's head at a shaded table by a window and makes her way towards her. 

"Hey," Alya croaks, sleep coating her voice as Marinette plops down in the chair across from hers.

"Morning," Marinette responds in a similar tone, parking her chin on the heel of her hand and allowing her eyes to flutter shut. "I'm tired."

Alya chuckles. "Me too. Stayed up late working on my final project for Bio."

Marinette pulls a face, eyes still closed. "Gross. Science is gross."

"Tell me about it," a new voice agrees.

Marinette cracks an eye open to see Nino pulling out the chair next to his girlfriend. Alya giggles in amusement at his blue and red plaid attire, and he throws her a half-hearted glare.

Feeling slightly more awake, Marinette digs through her schoolbag and pulls out her laptop. "I forget," she states, flipping the laptop open and logging in, "do either of you have Bisset for French?"

Alya and Nino shake their heads. "We have Berger," Nino reminds her, his binder hitting the table with a heavy thud. "Adrien's the one that has Bisset. He's in your class."

"Oh yeah," Marinette drawls, frowning and looking around. "Where is he?"

"Beats me. Guy's never late to anything." Nino shrugs.

Alya rolls her eyes and touches Marinette's hand reassuringly. "He's coming. He texted me earlier saying that his father needs to talk to him. He'll be here in no time." 

Marinette nods absently before pulling up her final essay and diving into it. 

She doesn't know when exactly Adrien arrives, but she soon finds herself jumping under his electric touch. He withdraws with a light chuckle, green eyes glittering in amusement. "How's the essay coming along?"

"Good, I think," Marinette responds hesitantly, rereading the sentence she'd just written before making eye-contact again. "When'd you get here?"

Adrien's closed-lip smile stretches. "About a half hour ago."

"Oh!" Marinette exclaims, flushing in embarrassment. "Sorry! I guess I was too distracted with this to really notice...," she trails off into sheepish laughter, motioning at her computer screen.

Adrien takes her computer and turns it towards himself. "Want me to proof read?"

"Please?" Marinette smiles warmly at him, resting the side of her head on her hand. 

He stares at her for a moment before swallowing and nodding. "Sure. Where'd you, uh, get to?"

"Just finished the third paragraph," she states, yawning and spotting the bag of pastries she'd brought. "Oh, I forgot about those."

Alya looks up and reaches into the bag, pulling out a chocolate croissant. "It's still warm."

All at once, the teens make a grab for the bag. Marinette's stomach grumbles in protest when Adrien and Nino hold the remaining two victoriously. She relinquishes a sigh, crumpling up the empty bag and tossing it at the nearby trash can. 

Adrien frowns. "Are there no more?"

"Guess not. Parents must have only put three in there," Marinette replies, trying her very best not to sound too upset or disappointed. 

Adrien holds the croissant out to her. "Have mine."

Marinette throws him a look of disbelief and pushes his extended hand away. "No way. You barely ever get to eat these things. I'll survive."

Nino and Alya glance at the bluenette guiltily, mouths stuffed. 

"Showwy," Alya mumbles through a full mouth. 

Marinette waves their concerned looks off. "It's fine. The bakery's only a five minute walk from here."

"Seriously, Marinette," Adrien says, offering the pastry to her again. "At least take a bite of mine."

The urge to say no dies in the back of her mouth when she opens it to object. She bites down in surprise, and lukewarm, gooey chocolate explodes across her taste buds. She nearly whines in objection when the treat is pulled away from her mouth, leaving small strings of chocolate between her and the croissant. 

She quickly licks them up, turning a soft shade of red when Adrien pops the rest of the dessert in his mouth. "There. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Marinette chews quickly, throwing him a small glare. "You've been wanting to do that, haven't you?"

Adrien grins, not looking guilty in the slightest. "You have no idea."

Marinette's heart flutters at his implications, and she hurriedly sticks her tongue out and looks away, feeling much too flustered by such a small gesture. 

_It doesn't mean anything. Stop tricking yourself into believing that it does._

With a small huff, Marinette digs her Algebra binder out of her bag and flips it open, eyeing the review distastefully. 

"It sucks," Nino pipes up, nodding his head at the wretched packet. "Good luck."

"Gee, thanks," Marinette mutters sarcastically, flicking through the pages of her Algebra 2 final review and sighing.

_I already hate today._

***   *   ***

Marinette startles awake. 

At first, she doesn't recognize her surroundings. The sober setting is buzzing with soft, almost low energy, and the walls around her are a calm oak. 

A warm hand touches her bare shoulder, and Marinette jumps at the sudden contact. She finds herself drowning in a meadow of green a moment later, and she blinks very, very slowly.

"Adrien?"

His amused smile turns warm. "Good morning again, Marinette."

A frown curves her brows. "Where am I?"

"The cafe. You fell asleep doing the Algebra review."

Memories come flooding back through Marinette's head, and she blinks in understanding. "Oh." She glances around, searching for Alya and Nino. "Where are...?"

"They're grabbing us lunch from that place across the street," Adrien explains, seemingly reading her mind and pushing a cup in her direction. "I got you a hot chocolate."

Marinette's lips part in surprise when Adrien's cheeks turn a soft pink under her stare. She accepts the cup, her heart beating unevenly. 

"Thank you," she says gently, lifting the cup to her lips and taking a small draw from it. 

Adrien's gaze snaps back to hers as she drinks, and Marinette knows for a fact that she's turning red. 

_'Stop looking at me like that!'_  she shouts internally, pulse racing and sending aches through her chest.  _'I know you're in love with someone, Adrien, so quit making me think that it could be me!'_

_'What if it is you?'_ a small voice in the back of her head queries, ever the hopeful one.

Marinette nearly chokes.

With a small cough, she pulls the mug away from her lips and sets it on the table. "I-I need to use the restroom," she stammers abruptly, standing up and stiffly making her way towards the bathroom before Adrien even has the chance to respond. 

Only when the door is firmly shut and locked behind her does Marinette allow herself to breathe. She holds a hand to her chest, desperately willing her heart to slow its rapid pace. 

Tikki flits out of Marinette's small purse, her indigo eyes shining in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Marinette exhales, shuddering at the memory of how Adrien's gaze felt on her. It felt good. Really,  _really_  good. 

"Are you sure?" her Kwami asks, not looking convinced when Marinette stumbles back and leans against the wall of the stall. 

"Mm-mm," Marinette hums, shaking her head and curling her flat palm into a fist that grips the front of her silk pajama shirt; right where her heart is. If she could, she'd dig in and yank it out to calm it down. 

Tikki's worried gaze turns knowing, and she floats up and hugs Marinette's cheek. "Human boys can be so oblivious sometimes."

Marinette giggles and hugs Tikki back with the hand not grasping her own shirt. "You're not wrong. I just wish I could read his mind sometimes, you know?"

"That's not how it works," Tikki tinkles back, voice melodic and sweet with a smile. 

"I know," Marinette sighs, finally letting go of her shirt in favor of hugging her sides, "he's just confusing me and making me see things that aren't really there."

Tikki stares at Marinette long enough to raise her curiosity. 

"What?" Marinette asks, suddenly feeling self-conscious. 

With a blink and a shake of her head, Tikki says, "Nothing. You should go back out there. I'm sure Alya and Nino are back with food by now."

The mere mention of food has Marinette's stomach growling. "You're probably right. Thanks, Tikki. I'll get you a cookie."

Tikki simply smiles and flies back into Marinette's handbag. 

"Inhale. Exhale," Marinette says slowly, doing as she tells herself to before glancing at her reflection in the mirror. She gives a horrified shriek. "I look awful! No wonder Adrien was staring at me!"

She takes her hair out of their twin buns low on her head and frantically combs her fingers through the loose tendrils. Still not satisfied, she wets her hands and scrubs her face.

Only when her cheeks are red and her eyelashes bare droplets of water does she breathe out and make do with how she looks.

Almost fearfully, Marinette pushes the single-bathroom door open and forces herself to walk back to her seat.

Tikki had been right in her prediction about Alya and Nino being back with food―much to Marinette's relief. She's not sure she would have been able to face Adrien if Alya and Nino weren't around.

The four chatter over lunch, studies cast aside. Marinette tries to act as normal possible, but it becomes more difficult the more Adrien pays attention to her. 

When the clock strikes  **3:00 PM** , the four friends go their separate ways. Before Marinette knows it, she's passing out on her bed, surrounded by textbooks.

***   *   ***

_Tap, tap, tap._

Marinette frowns and rolls over.

_Tap, tap, tap._

A small groan escapes her mouth as she readjusts her position and snuggles into the covers once more.

_Tap, tap, tap._

She cracks an eye open and sighs before stretching her leg up and shoving the trapdoor open with her foot.

"I was sleeping," she mutters, yawning mid-sentence and rubbing her eyes.

Faint stars litter the sky overhead, and Chat smiles apologetically. "Sorry. Thought you'd be awake because it's only nine forty-something. I can go, if you want."

Marinette yawns again and shakes her head, beckoning him in. "I'm just going to go back to sleep, if that's okay with you."

She rolls over and hugs her pillow, exhaling when the trapdoor closes overhead, and darkness settles in the space around them. Chat scoots close to her, falling into the same intimate position he had the night prior; arm around her waist, legs tangling with hers, and chin resting on top of her head. Something about the notion is calming, and Marinette doesn't have the energy to tell him off.

She drifts off once more.

***   *   ***

Marinette rolls over, the feeling of sun light on her eyelids. Warmth envelops her in a cocoon, and she finds herself inhaling deeply and snuggling further into it. The multiple blankets covering her legs shift, and Marinette frowns and curls into the heat further.

Her eyes fly open when she realizes her hand is sprawled across someone's bare chest. 

With a small shriek, she jumps away from the mysterious figure currently in her bed. He doesn't move but seems to be looking for something in his slumber.

_'Me,'_  Marinette realizes.  _'Chat?'_

"Chat?" she tentatively repeats out loud.

He groans and stretches, his arm muscles flexing and bunching.

_Holy shit. Being a superhero has done him good._

He begins to sit up, and Marinette screws her eyes shut.

"Marinette?" he queries groggily, voice heavy with sleep. "What are you―oh."

A pause.

"OH!"

The mattress shifts under Marinette, and she feels a strong blush on come on. 

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to―I-I mean I meant to―but not―!" 

"Chat!" she cuts him off, heat rolling off of her in waves of embarrassment. "It's fine. What time is it?"

"Uh―," there's another pause before he answers, "eight fifty."

Marinette sighs in relief. "Okay. I have somewhere I need to be before nine thirty. Are you good to transform?"

"Should be," Chat confirms, sounding nervous above all things. "I've got somewhere I need to be, too."

"Well, kid. Definitely didn't see this one coming," a nasally voice clucks sarcastically, sounding very smug.

"Shut up, Plagg," Chat mutters, soft enough for Marinette to just barely catch. 

**"Plagg, claws out!"**

Green swims in Marinette's vision, and she allows herself to crack an eye open. Chat Noir sits, cross-legged and red in the face. 

He glances at her before quickly looking away, seeming to flush deeper. "Sorry, Mari."

Marinette finds herself chuckling and shaking her head. "It's fine, Kitty. You just gotta be more careful. I almost saw who you were, and I know your identity is kept a secret to protect those close to you."

"Yeah," he sighs, scratching the back of his neck, "I know. Sometimes I think it'd just be easier if you knew."

A frown curves Marinette's brow, and Chat's eyes round slightly. 

"What?"

"Uh―nothing. Never mind. It was just―never mind," he says quickly, reaching up and pushing her trapdoor open. He glances down at her, a small, genuine smile stretching his lips. "See you soon," he murmurs, barely audible over the wind.

Marinette opens her mouth to say something, but he's gone in the blink of an eye.

_Why do I feel like I'm missing something?_

***   *   ***

The rest of the day drags on fairly uneventfully. Marinette had actually found it in herself to properly dress and show up on time for the group study session.

Adrien had been surprisingly quiet, but always close; as if he couldn't put too much space between himself and her for long before being drawn back.

For the umpteenth time today, Marinette shakes the tempting thought away.

_'No,'_  she internally reprimands,  _'stop it.'_

Something about Chat's smile from this morning still haunts her with an eerie familiarity, filling her to the brim with an inexplicable and warmth. 

Monday and Tuesday seem to shoot by in a blur of tests and final essay drafts. Marinette would rather sit through another lecture of final exam etiquette than face Valentine's Day alone.

Alas, her luck did not want to pull through on this one.

Marinette groans and leans her head on Alya's shoulder, who's waiting for her at the foot of the steps in the front of the school.

"Morning," Alya chuckles, patting Marinette's head with her unoccupied arm. "You okay?"

"No," Marinette croaks, feeling like absolute crap. "I feel awful."

Alya continues her soothing pats. "There, there, Marebear. What's meant to happen will happen."

"What if he asks Lila to be his Valentine?" Marinette laments out loud, allowing another defeated groan to escape her mouth. "Or Chloé!"

"Marinette," Alya sighs, pushing her away and holding her by the shoulders. "Adrien is not like that. I know for a fact he's not into girls like them, okay?"

Marinette nods sheepishly. "Okay." Her eyes widen significantly as she jumps to attention. "Oh! I almost forgot! Hold on."

She spins on her heels and runs back across the street and into her parents' boulangerie. The rusty bell chimes cleanly overhead, indicating her entry.

With a small smile and a shake of her head, Marinette jogs up to the box resting on the counter. She opens it to make sure everything is in perfect condition before nodding in satisfaction and making her way to back to Alya.

Alya raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the box baring the patisserie's logo resting in Marinette's hands. "What's that?"

"A treat," Marinette chirps, walking past Alya and starting up the steps.

The ombré tails her all the way to the classroom, even going so far as to try and snag the box from Marinette.

"Ah!" Marinette tuts, setting it down on her desk and holding up a single finger. "Not now."

Alya visibly slumps in disappointment. "Fine, fine." She glances at her phone. "Class starts in five." Her gaze fixes pointedly on Adrien and Nino's seats. "Any ideas on where they might be?"

At the mere mention of Adrien, Marinette's heart sinks. "No. Then again, I haven't checked my phone today." 

She fishes it out of her back pocket and scrolls through the notifications on her lock screen. Multiple messages under Nino's name pop up, all summing up to say: **'COVER FOR ME.'**

"Nope," Marinette squeaks, dissolving into a coughing fit soon after. "No," she chokes again, taking deep breaths to try and regain her composure. "Nothing from Adrien. Or Nino.  _Especially_ Nino."

Alya eyes her suspiciously. "I wasn't born yesterday."

Marinette shrugs. "Neither was I."

Alya stares at her through slits for another moment before shrugging as Marinette had and letting it go. "Okay. Hey, did you see the latest akuma attack I posted on Monday? Ladybug looked exhausted!"

Ladybug herself blushes. "Give the hero a break. She has lives like everyone else."

"Never pinned you for a Ladybug fan," Alya muses, idly tapping her lock screen with her pointer finger. 

"I'm more of a Chat Noir fan." The words are out before Marinette even has time to process them. Heat rushes to her cheeks once more, and she shakes her head. "N-not that I'm obsessed or anything, I-I just think he's kinda cool. Is all. Yeah."

Alya chuckles. "Whatever you say, girl."

Marinette simmers quietly after that, almost missing Adrien's entrance into the classroom. 

"Hey, Marinette," Adrien greets, beaming from ear to ear with one of his 'I'm a dork with a cause' smiles.

Marinette opens her mouth to respond, but is quickly cut off by Alya's "Hello to you, too, Agreste."

Adrien apologizes sheepishly, taking his seat and immediately turning around to talk to them. "You ladies got any plans for today?" He stares directly at Marinette as he asks this, and she squirms in her seat, her heart doing that stupid thing where it begins to start beating way too fast to be healthy. 

Alya shrugs. "I thought Nino and I were gonna do something, but he's not here." She frowns at his empty seat, the tiniest hint of sadness touching her deep green irises. 

Marinette puts a reassuring hand on her best friend's shoulder, trying her best not to let the excited smile she's attempting to hide split her lips. "I'm sure he'll show up, Alys. Maybe he had a slow morning?"

The ombré shrugs as if it's no big deal, and Marinette pulls her into a hug, resting her head on Alya's shoulder and sighing dramatically. "It's okay," she reassures, patting the side of Alya's head, "be single with me until Nino shows up."

Alya chuckles and hugs Marinette back, cupping the bluenette's chin with the inside of her elbow. "Anything for the love of my life."

The two girls share a laugh before Marinette abruptly remembers Adrien's presence. She reluctantly pulls away from Alya to give him her full attention. "Sorry―you were saying?"

Adrien's bright eyes glimmer in knowing amusement, a secret swirling within their depths. "It's really no problem. I'm sure we'll get to talk about it later."

Marinette opens her mouth to respond before recoiling in slight confusion. She frowns, about to ask what he means when Miss Mendeleiev walks in with her 'I'm not in the mood for your teenage crap' face on. 

Marinette snaps her mouth shut, and Adrien turns around with one final grin that has Marinette's pulse hammering.

***   *   ***

When the lunch bell finally (FINALLY) rings, Marinette feels sick to her stomach. Couples exchanging sweet-nothings and little butterfly kisses decorate the halls, taunting Marinette and her blatant singleness. 

It's funny, considering the fact that Ladybug was voted "Most Desired Valentine" in all of Paris. 

Marinette coughs violently when she turns a corner and finds Juleka and Nathaniel hardcore going at it. They separate almost instantly, both turning dark shades of red.

"Sorry," they apologize sheepishly, both staring down at Marinette with concerned gazes.

Marinette breathes deeply before shaking her head. "You're fine. It's fine. I'm good." And with that, she speed-walks away as quickly as her tiny legs will carry her. 

Alya waves Marinette over to their usual lunch table (when they don't go home for lunch). Marinette grins and skips up, taking a seat across from Alya. Her mouths dries slightly when she notices Nino's absence. What is that boy planning?

"I'll get us a couple of sandwiches," Alya states, eyes sparking with excitement as she stands up from the table and practically runs away.

Marinette follows her best friend's figure with her eyes before blinking and shaking her head. 

The intro to a familiar song played on the piano rings around the lunch room, and Marinette's head snaps up.

_**"What would I do without your smart mouth? Drawing me in, and you kicking me out. You've got my head spinnin', no kiddin', I can't pin you down."** _

The voice is steady and clear on the microphone, and Marinette can't locate the source of the voice for the life of her. Everyone in the vicinity has gone quiet, all looking around in confusion. 

_**"What's goin' on in that beautiful mind? I'm on your magical mystery ride. And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright."** _

There's a pause, and the piano music floats off for a moment. The person with the microphone takes a deep breath into it, the sound resonating around the room. 

**"This is taking me a lot of courage, guys,"**  the familiar voice admits through the microphone, tone nervous but calm all at once.  **"I'd really appreciate some support here."**

The room erupts into cheers and whoops, encouraging the guy (whoever he is) to continue.

A chuckle bounces off the walls of the room, and the voice says,  **"Thanks."**

The piano music picks up where it left off.

_**"My head's under water, but I'm breathing fine. You're crazy, and I'm out of my mind."** _

**"This goes out to you. You know who you are. I think."**

Adrien Agreste emerges from behind a pillar at the top of one of the staircases across the room. 

Marinette nearly shrieks and falls backwards.  _'Oh god,'_  she moans internally, eyes stinging with the threat of tears. _'Here it goes. How cruel! I get to watch the love of my life give his heart away.'_

His eyes lock with hers, and Marinette inhales sharply, eyes now much too wet for comfort.

A tear falls, and part of her shatters.

His eyes widen as the next words leave his mouth.

_**"'Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges―"** _

Marinette bites the inside of her cheek, confusion welling within her chest as her heart gives a lurch.

_**"All your perfect imperfections."** _

His eyes continue to stay glued to hers as he begins descending the stairs. Hundreds of gazes swivel to look at a shell-shocked Marinette, who's completely and utterly taken aback.

_**"Give your all to me; I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning, even when I lose I'm winning."** _

Adrien's expression softens under her uncomprehending gaze. Her lips part, and her hand comes to cover her mouth.

_No._

_**"'Cause I give you all of me, and you give me all of you, oh oh."** _

He stops in front of her, eyes warm and affectionate yet tainted with fear.

_He's afraid... of me? Of me... rejecting him...?_

The piano music drifts off again, and he stands there, breathing heavily.  **"Marinette Dupain-Cheng,"**  he addresses her, speaking into the microphone.

Marinette's heart stops.

**"I know this may seem kind of weird,"**  Adrien starts, looking highly uncomfortable yet perfectly in his element at the same time,  **"but I've got something to confess."**

People around the cafeteria give little 'oooh's and cheers, and Adrien cracks an embarrassed smile.

Marinette's breath hitches, and she can't seem to tear her gaze from his. 

Adrien Agreste, love of her existence, looks down at her through his golden lashes.  **"I think I'm falling in love with you."**

Marinette's world stops spinning. Time stands still. Her breath is caught in her throat, unwilling to escape into the air around them for fear of disturbing it. 

_'I-I'm dreaming,'_  Marinette tells herself, blinking a few times, but never taking her eyes off of Adrien.  _'I must be.'_

Adrien clears his throat, clearly perturbed by her lack of an answer.  **"Will, uh―will you be my Valentine?"**

The whole room inhales, every eye trained on Marinette.

Marinette swears, the only sound in the room is that of the blood roaring in her ears, and her heart thundering in her chest.

Her lips part, and she tries to say something. Nothing comes out. She tries thrice more before abandoning her futile attempts.

Gathering every inch of courage she can muster, Marinette stands up―

_―and runs away._

Just kidding.

Marinette stands up and grabs the collar of Adrien's shirt. The surprise whirling in his meadow-green eyes is the last thing she sees before yanking him down and crashing his lips against hers. 

The screams and bouts of wild applause disappear around them as Marinette melts into Adrien. Her heart pounds rapidly, and the taste of him spreads to every one of her senses. 

She pulls away, determined to keep the kiss sweet yet breathtaking. She releases a shuddering breath, and her gaze flicks up to Adrien's. 

"I have something to confess," she says softly, flushing slightly at the sound of the whistling crowd around them.

Adrien's breath catches, and his heart speeds up under Marinette's palm. "Yeah?"

"I've been in love with you for two years now."

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaand that's a wrap! Man, I've been working on this for... 5 days now? Not bad, huh? 
> 
> Hope you loves enjoyed reading this Adrienette as much as i enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Adrien does not know Marinette's identity in this. He ends up falling for her the closer they get over the years.
> 
> Sooooo... yeah. Now I can do all of my homework. XD
> 
> Xoxo, J.


End file.
